Game board



Aug. 2,1927. 7 I 1,637,522

- I F. A-. SULLIVAN GAME BOARD Filed Sept. 8, 1926 INVENTOR v7. 5[Zr/vale.

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

FRANK A. SULLIVAN, or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME BOARD.

AppIication filed. September 8, 1926. Serial No. 134,253.

This invention relates to an improvement in game boards of the typeusually used in playing games, such as checkers, chess and the like. 7

The-object of the invention is to provide 7 a game board of thischaracter which affords a clear playing surface for the counters or menand yet affords pockets to receive and releasably hold the counters ormen in such a novel manner that even then the playingscribed andparticularly pointed out in the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing agame board embodying the present invention Figure 2 isa sectional, view.thereof on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view thereof,and

Figure 4 is a group view in perspective of a playing piece and closureplate.

Referring to the drawings and especially to Figure 2 the numeral 1designates generally the body of the game board. Preferably this body 1comprises a sheet metal structure 2 in which cup-shaped pockets 3 areformed, the pockets 3 having short cylindrical body portions .4, closedbottoms 5, and open tops. 2 is embedded in a filler 6. With thisarrangement the cup-shaped pockets are interconnected or integral witheach other but obviously these cup-shaped pockets may be made separateand embedded in the filler.

A cover plate 7 is applied to the body 1 and has a downturned marginalflange 8. The upper surface of this plate 7 is marked off in differentlycolored blocks or panels or otherwise marked to provide the playing faceof the board. The pockets 3 underlie The sheet metal structure theblocks or markings of the playing face and in the plate 7 an opening 9is provided for each pocket 3, the openings and pockets being alined.

A closure' plate 10 is provided for the openings 9, each closure platebeing positioned in the pocket 3 which underlies itsopening 9 and havinga downwardly offset" flange 11 engageable with the marginal portion 12of the opening-9 with which the closure plate 10 coacts. Thus themarginal portions 12 around the openings 9 of the cover plate constituteshoulders to limit the outward orclosing movement of the closure plate10. A light coil spring 15 is provided for each closure plate 10, thecoil springs being located in the pockets 3 and engaging the bottoms .ofthe pockets and the closure plates 10. By offsetting the flanges 11thefaces 10 of the closure plates may be'and are formed to be coincidentwith and er'ably comprises body portions 17 having reduced extensions 18at their upper and lower ends. The body portions 17 are of non-circularform preferably hexagonal and the openings 9 are of the same shape andsubstantially the same size so thatthe body portions 17 may be passedthrough the openings 9 when the playing pieces are properly alinedtherewith. The reduced extensions 18 are of circular form and smallerthan the openings 9.

lVith this arrangement the playing pieces 16 may be shifted across theplaying face of the board in accordance with the rules of the game andall of the desirable and normal features of the conventional game boardare had in that a playing face clear, smooth and unobstructed is had.However the playing pieces maybe stored away in the board or locked inany position by pressing them downwardly into the pockets 3 and r0-tating them sufficiently to bring the corners Of course to enable anyplaying closure plate 10 closes. After depressing the partial rotationeffects the releasable locking and at such time the reduced. portion.

18 to the playing piece .is coincident With the playing face of theboard. 'A further slight rotation will bring the playing piece back intoregistration With the opening and permit the spring 15 t-o automaticallyreposition the playing pieces and closure plate. I claimz V i 1 A gameboard comprising a body having'a playing face and provided with aplurality of depressible portions said portions being normally flushwith the playing face of the board and forming a part thereof. 7

2A game board comprising a body havinga series of pockets and alsohaving a playing faceoveilying the pockets, the play ing face having anopening therein over each pocket, a closure element for each pocket,yieldable means torclosing each closure element, the playing face havingshoulders aroundeach pocket, and playingpieces havingportionsinterlockable with the shoulders and receivable in said pockets.

3. A game board comprising a body having a playing taceQand also havinga plu .rality of pockets extending thcreinto from.

the playing face, playing pieces cooperable with the playingrface andreceivable in said pockets andcooperating'means between the playingpiecesand body for releas ably interlocking the playing pieces and'thebody of'the boa-rd.

t. A game board comprising abody having a playing face andalso having aplurality of pockets extending thereinto, closure plates for thepockets, springs for urging the closureplates to closedposition, saidbody having shoulders around each pocket, saidclosure plates havingflanges-engageable withv the shoulders to limit the movement of theclosureplates to closedposition, and playing pieces cooperable with theplaying face and adapted to depress the closure plates, said playingpieces having portions engageable with the shoulders to hold the closureplates depressed and releasably 1naintain the playing pieces in thepockets.

. 5 A game board comprising abody having a playing face and providedWith a plurality oi pockets having yieldingclosures normally forming apart of said playing face, and playing iieces cooperable with theplaying face and with the said closures.

3. i-rgaine board coinprisinga body hav- .ing a series ofpochetstherein, a coverplate :LlJPllQhit) the body" and providing aplaying face, said plate having openings overly ing the pockets, theopenings being of nonapplied to thebedy and providing a playing i'acc,said plate having openings overlying the P()Cl=;cl't5, the openingsbeing or" non-circular term and beingsmaller than the pockets, clo ureplates for the pockets said closure plates having inwardly otisetflanges en- :gageable with the'portions extending around, the pockets,springsftor urging the cover platesto closed position.

or L116 cover plate 8. A game board havinga playing face and playingpieces cooperable with the playing lace, said game board having pocketsprovided with depressible closures the pockets being adapted to receiveand holdthe lJlHYlllglJlGOGS, an'dthe closures to holdsaid pieces in setposition on the playing face.

FRANK is; SULLIVAN.

